Sermon for March 20th (Maundy Thursday)

Jesus was crucified. Nailed to a cross. This is why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. This might seem like an odd reason to celebrate. But Jesus’ death is the reason why the Lord’s Supper is not just some family meal that we share at home. Jesus’ death is the reason why this is more than just a memorial to remember some fancy dinner a long time ago. Jesus’ death helps us better understand what is happening in this sacrament and why it is so important anyway. Tonight we are celebrating the death of Jesus our Savior at the Lord’s Supper. And some of you, will be doing this, for the first time. But why is it such a big deal in the first place?

In the reading from 1 Corinthians tonight you heard these words, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” But what is a covenant?. A covenant is an agreement made between two parties, two people. For instance, when you go to a bank in order to take out a loan to buy a house, you sign a promissory note that you will pay back the money. You have made a covenant with the bank. When you go out for sports, you agree to show up for practices and for the games. You have made a covenant with the coaches and with the team. When we hear the word covenant, these are the things we think about. Agreements. . . and if either person doesn’t do what they said they would do, well the agreement is off. If you stop paying the bank, they demand the money from you. If you don’t show up for the practices, you get kicked off the team.

However, this word covenant tricks us. While you and I are used to understanding it in one way, there were other ways to understand the word when the books of the Bible were written. Sometimes,both parties were responsible but there were different rules involved. For instance, think about the covenant that is made with a child, with your own children. When they are born, as you are holding them and rocking them for the first time, you may whisper in their ear, “I am always going to love you. I am going to find a way for you to have a better life than me. You will get everything I couldn’t get. I’m always going to take care of you and give you the best.” This is also a covenant, but it is a little different than a bank note or being part of a team. Why? Because your little baby isn’t agreeing to anything? The covenant completely rests on you. You have promised to love your little one whether they are a perfect child or not. Whether they kiss you goodnight or slam the door in your face. In a parent-child relationship, the parent is responsible to fulfill their obligations, but the child is not.

Another way to understand this kind of one-way covenant is to think about a last will and testament. When you die, people will read your last will and testament to find out who gets your property. When you fill out your last will and testament, you say what you are going to give to people when you are no longer living. When Grandma says in her will that you are the owner of the farm when she dies, it’s yours. You can’t say to the lawyer, “Well, I can’t take it because I wasn’t nice enough to Grandma.” No. She’s dead. It doesn’t matter. According to her will it is yours. She’s given you the whole farm! All that is left to say is, “Thank you!”

The apostle Paul says that as often as we eat the bread and drink this cup in the Lord’s Supper, we are to proclaim Jesus’ death until he comes. Jesus’ death is not about an agreement between God and you. Jesus died for you. He forgives your sins, he gives you the whole farm, and doesn’t ask if you lived up to your part of the agreement. Since you are a sinner, Jesus knows that you haven’t lived up to your end of the deal. That’s the whole point! He had to do something about it!

The Lord’s Supper is not about a covenant, the way we usually think about it. It is about a NEW covenant. But I think that there is a better word to remember what this means. It is about a new testament. It is about Jesus’ last will and testament. So, in order for you to find out what happens in the Lord’s Supper, you need to hear Jesus’ will and make sure all the parts of his will are there so that you can hold him to it when you hear of his death.

So here we go. In making a will you have to have a testator, or will maker, who is anticipating his or her own death. Then you need the heirs. The people who get what is coming to them. Also, you need to make sure the will is announced publicly.

At the last supper, Jesus declared his intentions to his disciples. And today, we will again hear his will publicly announced. Jesus referred constantly to the fact that he would be betrayed by all people, even those closest to him. So, at the last supper, surrounded by his disciples who would betray him by abandoning him and denying him, Jesus names all of them and us, his betrayers, as the heirs of his estate. So the author of the gospel writes, "In the night in which he was betrayed."

Since we have a will maker, a public announcement and some heirs, it is necessary to find out what the estate is. What goodies is Jesus giving in this will? Listen to the promise, “This cup is given and shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins.” We say these words, we name the estate, every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is giving you the whole farm. The forgiveness of sins. And, as Luther points out in the Small Catechism, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Jesus hands out everything, withholding nothing.

But we still need a little more to make sure that this last will and testament is in proper order. We have the heirs, his very own betrayers, and Jesus has named what he is giving away, the forgiveness of sins. Now, we need to be sure he wants the will to actually happen. Usually this is done with a signature on a legal document; however, Jesus just gives his command to do it. “Do this,” he says. Do this in remembrance of me. Take eat. Take drink. Do this. So by his command, we do it.

But, of course, there is one last thing. One last thing that must happen before any of these benefits are handed over. Jesus has named himself as the will maker, he has named his betrayers as his heirs, he has named the estate to be handed over and he has commanded that it be done. But, in order for Jesus’ last will and testament to be carried out, what must happen first? What must happen? The willmaker must die. Jesus must die.

When I say the words of institution, tonight, you will notice that I use the word testament instead of covenant. This is the way pastors used to say it back in the days of the old Service book and hymnal, the red book. Why is this word so important? Because I want to make it perfectly clear to all of you, that this gift of forgiveness from Jesus Christ is for you on the basis of what God has done all on his own. It is not based on some agreement you have made with him. For God’s promise, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, does not require any outward preparations on your part, or some level of worthiness, but the words require simply a believing heart.

Jesus died on the cross a long time ago. Now, each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim Jesus’ death until he comes again. And we celebrate his death. Because, since Jesus Christ has died, now his estate can be properly handed over to you, his heir, once and for all. Jesus Christ gives you all that he has. He gives you his body and blood, given in bread and wine, and commands you to eat it and drink it. He died for you so that all he has might be yours forever. This is Jesus’ last will and testament and it is wholly and completely for you.